Every Year
by Catherine Mackenzie
Summary: Jack Helps Daniel through a rough time


DISCLAIMERS: I WISH I OWNED THEM  
FEEDBACK: HELL YES (THIS IS MY FIRST STARGATE SG-1 FIC, SO BE GENTLE)  
  
  
  
  
  
EVERY YEAR  
  
  
JACK HAD NOTICED SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT DANIEL THIS PASSED WEEK. HE TRIED  
TO HIDE WHATEVER IT WAS THAT WAS BOTHERING HIM, BUT JACK READ HIS EYES. HE  
KNEW THE LOOK OF PAIN WHEN HE SAW IT. LORD KNOWS HE'S BEEN THROUGH IT ENOUGH.  
  
SAM HAD ASKED JACK ABOUT IT, BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT SHE DIDN'T.  
HE HID IT WELL, BUT NOT WELL ENOUGH.  
  
"SO, DANNY, YOU WANT TO COME OVER AND WATCH THE GAME TONIGHT?" DANIEL LOOKED  
UP FROM HIS DESK AND UP AT JACK. "NOT TONIGHT, RAIN CHECK?" HE ASKED IN A LOW  
WHISPER. "AH, I REALLY WASN'T WANTING TO WATCH THE GAME ANYWAY." JACK PAUSED  
TRYING TO THINK OF A WAY TO FIND AN EXCUSE TO COME OVER TO HIS HOUSE, OR HAVE  
DANIEL TO COME TO HIS. "WELL, HOW ABOUT ME AND YOU GO TO YOUR PLACE AND... I  
DON'T KNOW, PLAY CARDS OR SOMETHING?" HE ASKED UNSURE.   
  
DANIEL SMILED AT JACK'S ATTEMPTS. "THANKS JACK. BUT I REALLY WANT TO BE ALONE  
TONIGHT." GETTING UP FROM HIS DESK, HE GATHERED HIS COAT AND TRIED TO WALK   
THROUGH THE DOOR.   
  
JACK DIDN'T BUDGE. "WHAT'S WRONG?" JACKS VOICE WAS LOW AND CONCERNED. HE WAITED  
ALL WEEK TO SEE IF DANIEL'S MOOD WOULD CHANGE, BUT IT HADN'T, AND NOW HE   
WOULD FIND OUT WHY.  
  
"NOTHING I CAN'T HANDLE." WAS THE EMOTIONLESS RESPONSE HE GOT. "DANNY, COME  
ON, TALK TO ME. TELL ME WHAT'S THE MATTER." DANIEL PUT HIS COAT ON THE BACK  
OF THE CHAIR. "I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. HERE OF ALL PLACES." HE WAVED  
HIS ARMS AROUND THE ROOM.  
  
"OKAY THEN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE." DANIEL LOOKED AT THE FLOOR.  
"COME ON, I'LL TAKE YOU HOME." JACK SAID, STILL CONCERNED.  
  
THE RIDE WAS MADE IN COMPLETE SILENCE. JACK PONDERING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH  
HIS BEST FRIEND, AND DANIEL WAS TRYING TO KEEP ALL HIS EMOTIONS, STILL SO  
RAW FROM A WOUND NEVER HEALING, AT BAY.  
  
"OKAY, WE'RE HOME." JACK TURNED OFF THE CAR AND FOLLOWED DANIEL INTO THE  
HOUSE. DANIEL FLOPPED DOWN ON THE COUCH AND JACK SAT DOWN BESIDE HIM. THEY   
SAT THERE FOR A GOOD 15 MINUTES BEFORE EITHER ONE SAID ANYTHING.  
  
"SO, YOU WANT TO TELL ME WHAT WRONG, OR DO I HAVE TO GUESS ALL NIGHT?" HE  
ASKED NOT BEING AS SARCASTIC AS HE SOUNDED. "I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU AND I  
DON'T WANT TO YOU START GUESSING." HE SAID, HIS TONE SHAKY.  
  
"TALK TO YOUR FRIENDS, DANNY." 'I SHOULD LISTEN TO MY OWN ADVICE.' HE   
SILENTLY SCOLDED HIMSELF. DANNY KICKED OFF HIS SHOES AND PULLED HIS KNEES  
AROUND HIS CHEST, CURLING HIMSELF INTO A HUMAN BALL.  
  
"TODAY IS...TODAY IS THE ANNAVERCERIEY OF MY PARENT'S DEATH." JACK SAT IN SILENCE,  
HE KNEW HOW DAYS LIKE THESE WENT. "DANNY..." HE PUT AN ARM AROUND HIM AND  
ABSENTLY RUBBED HIS BACK.  
  
IT WASN'T UNTIL HE STOPPED MOVING, DID JACK NOTICE THAT DANIEL WAS SHAKING  
UNCONTROLLABLY. SILENT SOBS RACKED THROUGH HIM AS HE HELD HIS KNEES TIGHTER.  
"HEY...IT'S GONNA BE OKAY, DANNY. COME HERE." DANIEL COMPILED AND WRAPPED  
HIS ARMS AROUND HIS BESTFRIEND. "SH, IT'S OKAY." JACK WHISPERED INTO THE  
DARKNESS.  
  
SOONER OR LATER, DANIEL PULLED HIMSELF TOGETHER ENOUGH TO COME OUT OF JACK'S  
EMBRACE. DANIEL WIPED THE REMAINING TEARS FROM HIS FACE AND PICKED UP A   
PICTURE FRAME. "SHE WENT MISSING JUST A FEW DAYS AFTER THIS PICTURE WAS   
TAKEN." HE STARED AT THE PICTURE HARD, AS IF SHEER WILL COULD BRING HER BACK.  
  
"LISTEN, JACK, THANKS FOR COMING HOME WITH ME. I REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO BE  
ALONE TONIGHT." JACK SMILED AND CLAMPED HIS HAND DOWN ON DANIEL'S SHOULDER.  
"ANY TIME, DANNYBOY, ANYTIME."  
  
"ARE YOU GOING TO BE OKAY?" JACK ASKED LOWERING HIS EYES. "I'M GONNA HAVE TO BE." WRONG ANSWER. "DANNY, YOU KNOW, IT'S OKAY TO BE UPSET ABOUT THESE THINGS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE BY YOURSELF. WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY HERE, DANIEL, IS THAT WE'LL ALL BE HERE." DANIEL SMILED A CROOKED SMILE THAT DIDN'T REACH HIS EYES.  
  
"THANKS, JACK. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT MEANS TO ME." JACK PATTED HIM ON THE BACK A COUPLE TIMES. "YOU NEED TO GET SOME SLEEP, DANNYBOY. YOU LOOK LIKE HELL." JACK PULLED DANIEL TO HIS FEET. "THANKS JACK. THANKS A LOT." JACK LAUGHED. "COME ON, KID."  
  
BEFORE DANIEL DISAPPEARED INTO THE DARK HOLE OF HIS BEDROOM, HE TURNED AROUND AGAIN. "HEY, JACK? COULD YOU STAY TONIGHT?" JACK DIDN'T ANSWER RIGHT AWAY SO DANIEL WENT ON. "IT'S JUST ON NIGHTS LIKE THESE, I HAVE REALLY BAD NIGHTMARES AND I DON'T WANT TO BE ALONE IN CASE THEY STRIKE."   
  
"AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME, DANIEL. GO ON. GET SOME SLEEP. I'LL BE ON THE COUCH."   
  
JACK COULDN'T SLEEP. HE TOSSED AND TURNED FOR HOURS UN-END. FOR THE TENTH TIME IN THIRTY SECONDS, JACK CHECKED HIS WATCH. "IT THE SAME AS IT WAS THE LAST TIME YOU LOOKED." JACK SAID TO HIMSELF. FINALLY, JACK THROUGH THE SHEET AND BLANKET THAT COVERED HIM AND MADE HIS WAY TO THE KITCHEN. 


End file.
